7 Surprising Things You Can Do With Your Dog In Scotland

Scotland is a superbly dog friendly country, so it should come as no surprise that you can take your dog into more places than other countries. Here are 7 of the more surprising things you can do with your dog in Scotland!

​1. Go to the Cinema

We can cuddle up with our dogs on the sofa to watch a good film, so why not at the cinema too?

Glasgow’s Grosvenor Cinema  in Ashton Lane lets you do just that in selected screenings. So far these have included Rock Dog, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Girl on the Train, with more planned for the future. 

Taking your dogs to the cinema might just blow their minds - especially if they see a forty feet tall fantastic beast hunkering down on them!  But what a lovely way to spend a couple of hours together. 
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Check out the Grosvenor’s Facebook page for details of upcoming dog friendly viewings. ​In the meantime, I am looking forward to:

• One Flew Over the Cockapoos Nest,
• Raiders of the Lost Bark and...er...
• Reservoir Dogs. That one needs some work. 

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​2. Take your Dog to Jail

​Is it a bit weird that you can take your dog inside a museum jail? Probably, but we think it’s an awesome thing to do, and clearly so do the folk atInverary Jail.

Situated to the west of Scotland on the side of Loch Fyne, the jail lets you and your dog walk around freely (oh the irony!) to see the old cells that prisoners were kept in.  
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It also just happens to be a stunning area to stroll and take in the gorgeous sights, so you really can’t go wrong.

The Jail and Courthouse opened in 1820 and remained unchanged until 1843. In 1848 the New Prison was completed. This was a model prison for its day.

The Jail finally closed on the 30th of August 1889, ​and in May 1989, almost a hundred years after the last prisoners departed, Inveraray Jail opened to the public.

@DugsnPubs Finn in Inverary Jail pic.twitter.com/TV3BSVuULO

— Catherine Brooks (@ctbsab) February 8, 2014

​3. Go to the Pub

Going to the pub is a pretty standard activity, I’ll admit to that, and in Scotland, going with your dog is becoming increasingly common too.

Many visitors to the country however are often amazed at how many pubs and eateries allow dogs onto their premises, but it just helps to create a warm, cosy atmosphere, and can be the best thing in the world after a long walk!

You have so many dog friendly options in Scotland that the ever-useful Dugs n Pubs should be your first call to finding out what local drinkeries, eateries and other -eries you can visit with your four legged friend across the UK.

​Most pubs won't let your pup pal on their seats, but laps and jackets tend to be okay. Always best to check with the bar first - they might even have doggy treats back there!

​And if you are looking for somewhere to have a pint whilst bettering yourself, look no further than:

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4. Appreciate some Modern Art (whilst having a pint)

In the funky Newington district of Edinburgh sits Summerhall. This gallery/performance space/brewery/pub used to be Edinburgh University’s Dick Vet School, where students training to be vets would come for some top notch education.

However after the vet school moved location, Summerhall became one of the most vibrant art scenes in the city, opening in 2011 and welcoming visitors all year round - but particularly exploding with popularity during most of Edinburgh’s festivals and their own events, like this one for gin lovers. 

Dogs are made very welcome throughout the site. You can stroll around a gallery exhibition, take a coffee or even a burger and a pint in the bar with your pup, and the staff might even offer up a few doggie treats! A fantastic place to chill out after a walk around the Meadows park area, which is just on its doorstep.

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5. Visit a Garden Centre

​There was a time - and it wasn’t that long ago - when the idea of taking your dog into a garden centre was unheard of.

But times have moved on and along with large dog friendly garden centre chains like Dobbies, smaller independent retailers like Pentland Plants and Dunbar Garden Centre have started to allow well behaved dogs on leads into their stores. You will probably not be allowed into any food areas, but it’s still nice to be able to pop in for a quick garden shop. 
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Do keep an eye on anything accidentally spilled on the ground though - you wouldn’t want pup to snaffle something untoward.

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6. Climb a Lighthouse 

the town of Tucked away in the southwest of Scotland sits the town of Stranraer, on the shores of Loch Ryan. 15 minutes along from here is one of the most unusual hotels in the world - an old converted lighthouse that still works. 

Dogs are welcome at the Corsewall Lighthouse Hotel, where you can live out your old dreams of being a lighthouse keeper (perhaps with a puppet dog?), if that’s your thing.

Personally, I would be quoting Chewin’ the Fat sketches and shouting “goanny no dae that” the whole time, so would be an ultimately unbearable guest. 

Looks like a stunning place to spend time with the dog though! If you have been, let us know what you thought at the bottom of the page.

7. Take a Trip on the Hogwarts Express

Some of Scotland’s scenery can only be truly appreciated in style, and such is the case of the Glenfinnan Viaduct. A stunning sight to behold form any angle, it spans 1,000 feet and sits 100 feet off the ground taking in 21 arches. To see it from the ground is one thing, but to view it from inside a stream engine, however, is a whole new level of excitement.

​​The viaduct is well known by Harry Potter aficionados as it is a bridge the would-be witches and wizards have to cross on their steam train to get to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

It is possible to have a “medium family dog” on The Jacobite and travel in style over the Glenfinnan Viaduct, known to most of the world as the bridge seen in Harry Potter as the kids travel to Hogwarts. If you believe hard enough, you might be lucky and not get an earwax flavoured jelly bean in your packet.

Find out more about booking onto this train at West Coast Railways.

Have you got any tips for us on where we can take our dogs? Show off your knowledge and let us know in the comments for future blog posts.